After a long wait, advertising is finally arriving on WhatsApp… although it will not affect the user experience nor the privacy of users in their classic chats. This is another step in its evolution beyond personal chat that directly impacts the Updates tab and is intended to enhance brand visibility and, of course, the monetization of the Meta application itself.
Paid subscriptions to channels. Image: WhatsApp
With a daily audience of over 1.5 billion users, WhatsApp has opted to transform the Updates tab into the core of its commercial expansion. Until now, the Updates tab was limited to being the home of many content distribution channels from media outlets like ours 😉 The main innovations that will now be showcased, which have international reach, revolve around three pillars:
The company assures that these features will be integrated exclusively in the Updates tab, keeping the traditional chat experience intact, reinforcing WhatsApp’s approach to separating personal and commercial dynamics.
In its documentation, Meta‘s messaging app ensures that personal messages, calls, groups, or statuses will not be used to personalize advertising. All these contents remain end-to-end encrypted, meaning that not even WhatsApp can access them.
To determine which ads to show each user, WhatsApp relies on a limited set of signals. Among these is the basic account information, such as the country code and, when provided, the user’s age. Certain device data, such as the configured language, is also considered. Additionally, the general location —for instance, the city or country— is used but never precise geolocation.
Ads in statuses. Source: WhatsApp
A major source of targeting is activity within the Updates tab itself. WhatsApp analyzes the channels the user follows, the kind of content they interact with, and how they respond to ads they have already seen. In no case is access granted to the exact content of the statuses, which remain completely private.
For those users who have opted to link WhatsApp to the Meta Accounts Center, their behavior and advertising history on other platforms in the group, such as Facebook and Instagram, are also applied. This integration is optional and can be activated or deactivated at any time.
Additionally, WhatsApp will offer accessible controls for each person to view why they are seeing a particular ad, hide it if desired, or even report it. From the Ad Preferences section, users can also manage their advertising interaction history and adjust personalization criteria.
True to its message, WhatsApp ensures that all these new tools have been designed with privacy as a priority. Messages, calls, and groups remain end-to-end encrypted, so even the platform does not have access to them.
«We will never sell or share your phone number with advertisers. Your personal messages, calls, and groups in which you participate will not be used to determine which ads you may see. For years, we have considered how to build a company that does not interfere with your personal chats, and we believe that the Updates tab is the appropriate place to incorporate these new features. For businesses and channel administrators who are just starting, more information on how to do this can be found here,» explains WhatsApp in a statement.
Ad personalization is based on limited information, such as language, country, and followed channels, and for those who have linked WhatsApp with the Meta Accounts Center, Meta’s ad preferences are also employed. WhatsApp ensures that in no case will the phone number be shared nor personal chats used to define which advertisements are displayed.
These functions position WhatsApp as a platform increasingly integrated with Meta’s commercial ecosystem, where the direct channel between brands and users becomes more dynamic and useful. Both for administrators and for companies starting out, WhatsApp offers resources to activate these new formats.
Image: WhatsApp
Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *
Δ